Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED
We don’t know what led Asus to build an oversized foldable PC, but the bonkers Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is arguably the most memorable device we saw at CES 2022. The world’s first foldable PC with a 17-inch display (and maybe the last), the ZenBook is essentially a gigantic convertible tablet that can fold in half when you need to slip it into a bag.
Besides portability, the benefit of using a folding display is that it allows for various modes. You can fold one panel 90 degrees and use the tablet as a traditional laptop with either the on-screen keyboard or an included detachable one. Or you can open the screen flat and use the kickstand on the back to prop the tablet upright when you’re watching movies on its 17.3-inch, 2.5K (2560 x 1920) OLED touchscreen. Included “ScreenXpert 2” software helps with moving windows around as you move from one mode to the next.
This probably won’t end up being one of the “best” products announced at CES, but it sure is one of the most far-out. And yes, “nobody asked for this” but that’s precisely why it landed on this list. Because, if the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED proves anything, it’s that Asus doesn’t give any fucks—something we can all relate to two years into a global pandemic. So go on Asus, keep making your strange gadgets, so long as they don’t replace the good stuff. —Phillip Tracy
